Introduction

Guns in America are perceived as a sacred symbol of independence and equality. However, recent mass gun shootings have rekindled a national debate about gun control in the United States. This controversial issue divides the nation two camps: pro gun control and anti-gun control.  Pro-gun control group view restrictive gun control laws as a solution to the increasing gun violence and deaths. Gun violence is a serious concern for most US citizens and agreeing on acceptable means to decrease that violence remains a polarized issue. It may refer to the use of guns to cause horror through dead or harm to an innocent person or groups of persons. Gun-related violence is the third leading cause of death among children in the US. According to Kopel, gun violence is among the most prevalent type of crimes that take place everyday in America. The major concern revolves around the issuance and ownership of unlicensed firearms. One proposed solution focuses on strengthening gun control laws.

 Pros of Gun Control

The US is under pressure from numerous groups to tackle the ceaseless cases of mass shooting and gun violence which affect the health, economic and social wellbeing of the nation. Compared to other First World countries, the US has higher per capita fatality rates because of gun violence. Advocates of gun control have consistently demonstrated that America has higher rates of firearm violence compared to other developed countries with restrictive gun control laws like Japan, United Kingdom and Australia. These countries have amended their constitutions to make gun ownership a privilege rather than a right.

Firearms are a leading cause of death and violence. There were a total of gun-related deaths between 1999 and 2013: 174,773 homicides, 270,237 suicides; and 9,993 inadvertent deaths (4). Gun-related deaths represent 1.3% of total deaths. More than 200 Americans visit emergency department daily with gunshot injuries. Legal possession and use of firearms are linked with increased risks of violent deaths. Reducing the number of firearms in private hands would significantly reduce these violent deaths.

There are about 300 million firearms in almost half of the US households (Eakin, 2014). While most Americans do not possess firearms, 1 in 6 six Americans have at least one shotgun. In 2013, citizens bought approximately a million guns each month, setting record sales numbers. Approximately 38,000 Americans die each year via gun-related deaths, with suicides being the primary cause. In addition to that, nearly half of gun killings are committed by individuals who the victims know: lovers, relatives or friends.

Guns are seldom used for self-defense. Of the total 29,618,300 violent crimes that occurred between 2007 and 2011, only 0.7 percent of victims protected themselves with the firearm use (Planty & Truman, 2013).there was 8275 criminal gun homicides committed in 2010 compared to 230 justifiable homes whereby a citizen used a gun to kill a criminal (Violence Policy Institute, 2013). These statistics makes gun ownership for self-defense a weak premise. Moreover, armed citizens are more likely to escalate dangerous situations more deadly. None of recent mass shooting and gun violent have been stopped by the armed civilians.

Congress has incessantly debated the constitutionality and effectiveness of gun control laws, with strong supports arguing against and for stricter gun control measures. In spite of the mass shootings that occurred at Verginia Tech, Columbine High School, Newtown and Tucson, Congress has not passed gun control legislation since the Federal Assault Weapons Ban became ineffective in 2004 (Koper & Webster, 2013).  These past proposals raise an important question: Does gun control really help decrease gun violence and deaths?

Anti-gun control advocates argue that stricter gun control measures do not reduce gun violence. For these opponents, restrictive gun control laws serve to rob innocent citizens an effective means to self-defense. They claim that is it as hard to keep firearms from being accessed by high-risk persons as it was to contain the use and sale of liquor in the eve of prohibition. They opinionate that stricter firearm regulatory system could only bring more problems for law abiding Americans and possibly threaten safety. They go further to claim that the low rates of violent crime witnessed by other developed nations have nothing to do with gun control, arguing instead that many cultural variations are at work (Krouse, 2010).

Opponents of gun control seem to lack clear understanding of problems involves and loosely interpret the 2^nd Amendment. They also lack logical concern for the issues of gun violence and crime. It is worth noting that the firearms and the regulations revolving their ownership and use remains a contentious issue in America. Nevertheless, the frequent use of firearms in suicides and homicides necessitates greater gun control measures.

Contributing to the gun control discourse, the Supreme Court gave its ruling in District of Colombia v. Heller (2008) by overturning the District of Colombia handgun ban. The Court held that the ban infringed on the right of an individual under the 2dn amendment of the US Constitution to legally possess a gun in his or her home for self-defense purposes (Krouse, 2010).  While laws developed to decrease gun violence and deaths may violate interests of certain individuals in gun acquisition, such laws further the argument that a large proportion of the population wants to live in violent-free violent with a reduced danger of gun-related deaths.  Reducing a society’s risk provides individuals with increased options about where they will attend school, work and live.

Conclusion

The current paper argues that a stringent gun control is necessary to reduce incessant mass shootings and suicides witnessed across the country.  Armed private citizens are less likely to stop gun violence or use firearm for self-defense. Countries with restrictive gun control laws experience low rates of gun violence and deaths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Eakin, L. (2014). Showdown: The Looming Crisis over Gun Control. New Castle: Lamp Light Press.

District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008

Kopel DB (2012). The Great Gun Control War of the 20th Century and its lessons for gun laws today. Fordham Urban Law Journal 39: 1527-1616.

Koper, C. S., & Webster, W. (2013). America’s Experience with the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, 1994-2004: Key Findings and Implications. In: Webster DW, Vernick JS, editors Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Evidence and Analysis (pp: 157-171). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Krouse, W. J. (2010). Gun Control legislation. Congressional Research service. Retrieved on December 18, 2017 from www.crs.gov.

Planty, M. & and Truman, J. L. (2013).Firearm Violence, 1993-2011. Retrieved on December 18, 2017 from www.bjs.gov

Violence Policy Institute. (2013). Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use. on December 18, 2017 from www.vpc.org, Apr. 2013

 

 

 

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